Final Fantasy Type 0 and Versus XIII To Be Localized

Cue thunderous applause and cheering from yours truly.

It seems that Yoshinori Kitase says that both Final Fantasy Type 0 and Versus XIII are in the process of recieving english localizations. Type 0, of course, has had it's localization status in doubt due to poor overseas PSP sales.

In even better news, Kitase claims that the Versus XIII team is 'hard at work finishing the game', and that there will be more details revealed soon. Excellent news.

You can read what he says here.

EDIT: Looks like Type-0's localization has been confirmed in the Ultimania. :D Check it out.

My Top 5 Gaming Wishes

Well, Thanksgiving has come and gone. Now that I'm back from my not-actually-that-long haitus from Turkeyland, I feel like prepping for the next holiday season. These five items are things I personally would love to see in the near future (not in any particular order). So, here you go.

5- Final Fantasy Versus XIII gets a 2012 Release Date.
A guy can dream, right? Seriously, though, this one has gone on long enough. Square has been teasing this game ever since Final Fantasy XIII was announced, and seeing as they've been saying they want to cut development times down, I'm hoping we can see their six-years-in-the-making action RPG sooner rather than later.

4- Kingdom Hearts 3 gets announced for current-gen consoles- specifically, PS3.
This is another one that may exist only in the realm of wishful thinking, but it's still a strong desire of mine. The Kingdom Hearts series has mostly been releasing spinoffs (Birth by Sleep being the closest thing to a 'main' title we've seen in years), and many fans are pining for a true current-gen Kingdom Hearts game for Playstation 3. The labyrinthine narrative of Kingdom Hearts needs to find some closure, but more than anything else, I want this game to be out before Square can be tempted to new hardware.

3- JRPG comeback
The classic role-playing games of yesteryear have been overshadowed of late by their Western counterparts, which is a shame, but not entirely unfounded. That's not to say we haven't gotten great JRPGs over the years, but few of them were truly innovative. I was disapointed with the gaming community's reaction to the delightfully experimental Final Fantasy XIII, but  I do feel that a truly great JRPG, one that will revitalize the genre, is just around the corner. As excited as I am for Level 5 and Studio Ghibli's excellent looking Ni no Kuni, which may be the best JRPG in years, I don't think it's the type of game to hit the innovative sweet spot the genre needs right now. We'll have to wait and see.

2- Operation Rainfall Is Successful.
If you don't yet know what Operation Rainfall is, look it up and support them. They are a grassroots movement petitioning Nintendo to localize three excellent looking JRPGs for Wii- The Last Story, Xenoblade Chronicles, and Pandora's Tower. Remember how I was looking for a great and innovative game that could revitalize the genre? Xenoblade could very well be that game, as could The Last Story (itself made by famed Final Fantasy creator Hironobu Sakaguchi). The fact that these games weren't instant candidates for localization is just sad.

1- Mistwalker makes a PS3 title.
Mistwalker studios is the company helmed by Hironobu Sakaguchi, and has made excellent RPGs such as Blue Dragon, Lost Odyssey, and The Last Story. Sakaguchi apparently has a grudge against Sony (he's mentioned this before), and all of his big titles have been on 360 (which shot him in the foot with regards to sales) or Wii. While I've been hoping for years to see PS3 versions of Blue Dragon and Lost Odyssey (ESPECIALLY Lost Odyssey), I'd settle for an original game from them. Think you and Sony can put your differences aside, Hironobu? For me? Please?

Well, that's that. What are your gaming wishes?

Kitase- New Final Fantasy every year?

So, in a recent interview, Yoshinori Kitase, the producer of the Final Fantasy series, says that he would like to see Final Fantasy releases follow the example of best-selling Western games, releasing every one or two years. Following in the footsteps of franchises such as Call of Duty and Assassin's Creed, Kitase hopes to keep the attention of fans by releasing games at a faster rate, saying that one of XIII's problems was it's overly long development cycle and it is this new policy that allowed them to finish Final Fantasy XIII-2 in eighteen months.

Here's a link. http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/114322-Square-Enix-Wants-a-New-Final-Fantasy-Every-Year

Hey, I'm all for it, guys. I'd love to play new FF games more often. Just, does this mean we'll see Versus XIII next year? Please?

Give me this game.

EDIT: There's also been some more news concerning XIII-2, now that the main game is finished. Among other things, there will be a New Game + type feature, and you will have the ability to 'rewind time' in order to replay old areas whenever you want, allowing you to get alternate 'paradox' endings by alternating the timeline. Here is the news.